1. Technical Field
This invention relates to the field of electronic document authoring, development and distribution and more particularly to a method for moderating external access to an electronic document authoring, development and distribution system.
2. Description of the Related Art
The World Wide Web [Web] has rapidly become an invaluable tool to individuals and businesses. Not only can an individual or business post information on the Web, but also it can use the Web to transact electronic commerce. Because the public is acutely aware of the Web's business and personal benefits, millions of Web pages are being added to the Web each year.
Typically, a Web page is defined by a document containing HyperText Markup Language [HTML] code. An HTML document suitable for posting on the Internet includes both “content” and “markup.” Content is information which describes a Web page's text or other information for display or playback on a computer's monitor, speakers, etc. Markup is information which describes the Web page's behavioral characteristics, such as how the content is displayed and how other information can be accessed via the Web page.
In order to provide Web-based information and services over the Internet, the Web employs “client” computers, “browser” software, and “server” computers. A client computer is a computer used by an individual to connect to the Internet and access Web pages. A browser is a software application, located on a client computer, which requests, via the Internet, a Web page from a server. A server is a computer which stores Web page information, retrieves that information in response to a browser's request, and sends the information, via the Internet, to the client computer. Thus, after a Web page is created, the page must be “posted” to a particular server which “hosts” the page, so that the page can be accessed over the Internet.
In operation, the browser can accept a unique address corresponding to the requested Web page residing on a particular domain on the Internet. A domain is an address identifying a unique portion of the Internet. Each domain address is assigned by a central administrator of Internet domain names which provides, tracks and disseminates to the Internet unique domain names corresponding to each domain. Thus, in order to provide Web pages on a particular domain, a domain name first must be registered with the central administrator of Internet domain names.
The unique address corresponding to the requested Web page includes a reference to the domain in which the requested Web page is stored. The unique address is commonly referred to as a uniform resource locator [URL]. Each URL contains the domain name concatenated with a local address for locating the requested Web page on the chosen domain. After receiving the page, the browser displays the Web page corresponding to the requested URL in a Web browser window on the client computer's monitor.
In consequence of the vast number of Web pages and their corresponding URLs residing on the Internet, locating a particular Web page without knowing the particular URL can prove difficult. Traditionally, persons interacting with the Internet can locate a particular URL by querying a search engine. A search engine, a Web page in of itself residing on the Internet, typically contains a database of Web pages, corresponding URLs, and corresponding keywords related to the content of each Web page. Thus, a person can provide the search engine with a keyword relating to the topic for which the person seeks an appropriate Web page. In response, the search engine can select a corresponding Web page and URL, providing the URL to the requesting person in Web page format.
Though the idea of having one's own Web page is appealing, the average individual has little or no knowledge about how to create a Web page. Particularly, the average individual does not know how to create an HTML document or to post that document to a server. Unless that individual is willing to learn how to create and post their own Web page, that individual is faced with few options. In consequence, the most commonly used method for an individual to post a Web page on the Internet is to employ one of numerous companies to provide, for a fee, Web page development services. After contacting such a company, the individual would meet with one of the company's Web page designers to explain the individual's concept for the Web page. The designer subsequently would create the associated HTML document. After approval by the individual, the designer may provide the service of posting the Web page to a server. However, the server typically is not associated with the page development company. Thus, the individual must separately contract with a Web hosting service associated with the server to host the Web page.
Nevertheless, the Web page creation and posting process is time consuming and expensive, because it requires the individual and the designer to spend a significant amount of time together working on a particular page design. In addition, the process is inefficient because the individual must work separately with a designer and an Web hosting service. Thus, a method for enabling an individual to conveniently design a Web page without requiring that individual to learn HTML or to interact extensively with a Web page designer streamlines the Web page creation and posting process.
Still, potential users of an integrated system for creating and posting Web pages remain cautious. First, third party potential users hesitate to purchase a long term contract for hosting a Web page without first realizing the effectiveness of the integrated system. Third party potential users would prefer to “test-drive” the integrated system prior to paying for the use of the integrated system. Of course, the provider of the integrated system requires assurances that the third party potential user will not abuse the provider's good faith in providing free access to the third party potential user.
Second, potential users require a diverse selection of visual and functional components for inclusion in their Web pages. Presently, users of Web design services are limited to Web designs comprising a limited selection of bitmapped graphics, fonts, background images, etc. One method of increasing the design service provider's catalog of Web page objects is by distributing the Web page components of third party authors. For instance, the provider could accept submissions of third-party authored bitmapped graphics, digitized audio, customized backgrounds, and digitized video. Naturally, the third party author will demand compensation in exchange for permitting the use of the Web page components. Moreover, the third party author will require access to the integrated system in order to upload contributed Web page objects. Conversely, as in the case of the free-trial, the Web design service provider will demand adequate assurances that the third party author will not abuse the access to the integrated system. In consequence, a need exists for a method for moderating external access to an electronic document authoring, development and distribution system.